Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Short Interest Update

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 6,080,000 shares, an increase of 18.5% from the March 15th total of 5,130,000 shares. Currently, 1.6% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 2,490,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.4 days.

Levi Strauss & Co. Stock Up 2.6 %

NYSE:LEVI traded up $0.41 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $15.97. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,495,563 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,152,168. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.32 billion, a PE ratio of 30.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.07. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $16.00 and a 200-day moving average of $17.10. Levi Strauss & Co. has a 1 year low of $12.17 and a 1 year high of $24.34.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 7th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $1.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.54 billion. Levi Strauss & Co. had a net margin of 3.32% and a return on equity of 25.88%. Levi Strauss & Co.'s revenue was up 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.26 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 9th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 24th will be given a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.26%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 24th. Levi Strauss & Co.'s payout ratio is currently 58.43%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $20.00 to $17.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Guggenheim upped their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Levi Strauss & Co. from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $19.00 to $17.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Barclays lowered their price objective on Levi Strauss & Co. from $22.00 to $18.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. Finally, Bank of America raised Levi Strauss & Co. from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their target price for the company from $17.00 to $20.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $19.18.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director David A. Friedman sold 4,166 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.44, for a total transaction of $76,821.04. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 100,012 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,844,221.28. This represents a 4.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.25% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Levi Strauss & Co.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Golden State Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 101.5% in the 1st quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,210 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,113 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $57,000. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Levi Strauss & Co. during the fourth quarter valued at $82,000. Finally, Matrix Trust Co raised its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 678.9% in the fourth quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 5,507 shares of the blue-jean maker's stock worth $95,000 after acquiring an additional 4,800 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.14% of the company's stock.

Levi Strauss & Co. Company Profile

Levi Strauss & Co engages in the design, marketing, and sale of apparel products. The company offers jeans, casual and dress pants, tops, shorts, skirts, jackets, footwear, and related accessories. It operates through the following geographical segments: Americas, Europe, and Asia. The company was founded by Levi Strauss in 1853 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.